Office of General Counsel

Overview

OUR MISSION

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) is committed to maintaining the highest levels of quality, professionalism and integrity in the delivery of legal services, and strives to assure timely, effective advising and guidance.

WHO WE SERVE

The OGC provides legal advice and representation to the Board of Regents of the UW System, UW System Administration, UW System institutions, and UW System administrators and staff, and serves as liaison to state government offices and agencies, including the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

WHAT WE DO

The OGC provides comprehensive legal services to the UW System comprehensive campuses and to UW Colleges and UW-Extension, including advice on a wide variety of legal matters such as personnel issues, student affairs, public records and open meetings, real estate, risk management, and immigration, among others. OGC also reviews and drafts policies; reviews, drafts, and negotiates contracts; represents UW institutions in administrative hearings; and acts as a liaison with the Wisconsin Department of Justice in litigation filed in court. An emphasis on proactive and preventive law is foremost, and OGC attorneys provide training on legal issues to administrators and staff throughout the UW System.

DISCLAIMER

The information presented on this website is for informational purposes only and nothing on this website should be construed or relied upon as legal advice. The OGC or the UW-Madison or UW-Milwaukee legal offices should be consulted regarding the specific facts and circumstances associated with any legal matter.

Leadership

Tomas L. Stafford

General Counsel

Contact

About Tomas L. Stafford

Tomas L. Stafford has served as General Counsel for the University of Wisconsin System since October 2010. Tom graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1988 with a B.A. degree, and earned a law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1991. After law school, he was in private practice for two years with Winthrop and Weinstine, P.A. in St. Paul, Minnesota. Tom then served as counsel to the Higher Education and Commerce Committees of the Minnesota State Senate. Prior to joining the UW System Office of General Counsel in 2000, Tom was an Assistant Attorney General with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office and represented the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) System. His principal areas of practice include employment law and general education law.

Staff

Anne Bilder

About Anne Bilder

Anne E. Bilder, Senior System Legal Counsel, has been employed in the UW System Office of General Counsel since 1998, and specializes in the areas of employment law, student affairs, diversity issues, international programs, and general education law issues. Anne is a graduate of Carleton College and the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she was a member of the Wisconsin Law Review. Anne also received a master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has taught graduate-level courses in higher education and privacy law, and has offered training to various legal and post-secondary education groups in such areas as student discipline and student affairs, FERPA, employment issues, and diversity.

Alicia Boll

About Alicia Boll

Alicia Boll, Office Manager, joined UW System’s Office of General Counsel in March 2014. Alicia graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a B.F.A. in photography and journalism in 2005. After graduation she worked as a photojournalist with Hearst-Argyle and in various creative capacities as a freelancer. Alicia joined UW System Administration in April 2012 as a program associate with the IDEASS Office.

Wade Harrison

About Wade Harrison

Wade Harrison joined the UW System Office of General Counsel in July 2014 as System Legal Counsel. Wade focuses in the areas of employment law, student affairs, diversity issues, health care, real estate, bankruptcy and training. Prior to joining UW System, Wade worked at the law firm of Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. and his practice involved advising and representing both private and public employers in a variety of labor and employment, education and health law matters. Wade has appeared before the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, United States Department of Education - Office of Civil Rights, Wisconsin state courts, United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin and the United States Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Wade received his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Loyola University, Chicago, graduating cum laude with minors in Women's Studies and African American Studies. Before starting his career in law, Wade worked in California and Chicago gaining experience in international trade and human resources.

Erin Kastberg

About Erin Kastberg

Erin E. Kastberg, System Legal Counsel, joined the University of Wisconsin System Office of General Counsel in January of 2011. She advises campuses on issues relating to employment, student affairs, contracts, and general higher education law. Prior to joining the Office of General Counsel, Erin was in private practice from 2004 until 2011 where she practiced primarily in the areas of labor and employment law and school law. Erin is a graduate of Iowa State University with honors and distinction and the University of Iowa College of Law where she was a member of the Iowa Law Review and Moot Court Board.

Jennifer Lattis

About Jennifer Lattis

Jennifer Sloan Lattis, Senior System Legal Counsel, joined the UW System Office of General Counsel in January 2010. She received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Jennifer served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Wisconsin Department of Justice from 1989 to 2010 where she specialized in civil litigation with an emphasis on employment law, constitutional defense, and public records. She has over twenty years of experience representing the University of Wisconsin and state government clients in a wide variety of cases.

Matthew Lind

About Matthew Lind

Matthew J. Lind, System Legal Counsel, joined University of Wisconsin System’s Office of General Counsel in September 2010. He received a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and joined the Wisconsin bar in 2010. During law school, he worked as a law clerk for the Office of General Counsel. He was also a member of the Wisconsin Law Review and the Moot Court Board. Before law school, he taught elementary and secondary Spanish and Latin for seven years at a private school in Charlottesville, Virginia. He received a M.Ed. in Foreign Languages from the University of Virginia in 2007 and a B.A. in Classical Languages from Calvin College in 2000.

Andrew Preboski

About Andrew Preboski

Andrew Preboski, Program Assistant Confidential, joined UW System’s Office of General Counsel in June 2014. Andrew graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2012 with a B.A. in Political Science and a certificate in Business. After graduation, he worked as a clerk at Psychiatric Services, S.C.

Paige Reed

About Paige Reed

Paige Reed, Senior System Legal Counsel, joined UW System’s Office of General Counsel in January 2010. Prior to coming to the University of Wisconsin, Paige was an Associate General Counsel at Southern Illinois University (SIU). During her work at SIU, she focused on labor and employment, student affairs, health care, contracts, diversity and compliance issues, and presented training programs for the University community. Prior to working for SIU, Paige was the City Attorney for the City of Carbondale, Illinois. Paige’s practice areas include employment, health care, student affairs, bankruptcies, governance issues, policies, and general higher education law.